This is amazing because US soaps would never get this treatment. I give the UK credit though because creating these large standing sets allows them to create a more versatile show visually instead of being limited to a few small one room sets. It’s a good investment and allows them to do more in terms of stunts and blocking. If the US soaps recreated this model I think they’d be a lot more successful.

I would guess the overspend is a direct result of government procurement processes which require companies to tender for work and the company, in this case the BBC, are obliged to accept the highest bidder. This encourages construction companies to bid low and over promise knowing they can add to the charges once they have their tender accepted and they start the work knowing it's too late for BBC to shift the work to another contractor without incurring even more costs.

Brookside did it right, they just took over a real cul de sac and filmed most scenes there. They could have sold the properties for a profit at the end but I understand it's all derelict now.

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It was derelict for years but was bought by a developer, restored to its former condition and all the houses occupied. I paid a visit a few years ago and it’s just like walking into the show as it looks exactly the same as it did in the Eighties.